The Pocket Book of Death, An Unfortunate Look at the End of the Line

by Morgan Reilly, Joanna Tempest, Rob DenBleyker (Illustrator)

If you’ve been dying for a great read on a tantalizingly terminal topic, The Pocket Book of Death has your number. In this deliciously dark volume—oh-so-appropriately shaped like a tombstone—you’ll find hundreds of fatal factoids about death and dying, on everything from bizarre funeral rites and rituals from cultures across the world to how many American presidents have died on the Fourth of July to the cold-hard stats on the way you’re most likely to meet your maker. (You might wanna earmark that page.) Stuffed with entertaining trivia about the one thing you can be sure of in life and hilariously, horrifyingly illustrated throughout, The Pocket Book of Death is a marvelously morbid guide to kicking the bucket.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Reference

154 pages, Paperback

First published March 27, 2008

Reviews

[MKF]

A small book packed full of fun facts and tidbits about death. From things that kill you, what to do with your body after you die, famous deaths, last meals, and the list goes on. Many are things I already knew but I still learned a few things. They are not very in depth and are simplified which makes this great for a younger person or someone who is just curious. My favorite were the cartoon pictures they were the funniest part of the whole book.

[Samra]

really fun and interesting. love that the illustrations are by the guys from Cyanide and Happiness.

[Allison]

I'm studying to be a funeral director an this book sits by my toilet. It's perfect for those 5 minute reads!

[Lorraine]

Morgan Reilly and Joanna Tempest’s The Pocket Book of Death: An Unfortunate Look at the End of the Line is “a miscellany of death facts that is a combination of reality and hilarity….”. I found this ‘pocket book’ on my shelves, and I needed the space for another book. Thus, I decided to read it again, and I plan to give this short book to a friend. This book quickly covers some history of death, facts of death, science, rituals, careers in the industry, urban myths, and my favorite, epitaphs, or Last Words to Laugh by & Amusing Epitaphs. There were definitely not enough of these! One chapter to which I opened this book today had last meals for some identified ‘death row’ inmates. I had completely forgotten that this information was printed here, and I did not need or want to read this section again, but it is here if any readers have an interest. The authors and illustrators present this ‘pocket guide’ to death in a light manner. 3.5-4 stars.

[Michele Brack]

#10 A book about death or grief

I've had this on my shelf for a while and just flipped through it before without actually reading the full thing. It's a cute little book of small useless facts about death and dying that are actually kind of funny.

Good info in there.

[Angie]

I work with a funny, yet devilishly cunning lady who has this fascination with death. I think everyone is curious, even a little, about the end process. I do work at a nursing home and naturally the subject of death comes up, sadly. This book really isn't sad, it's more informative about famous people's deaths, last suppers for guys on death row, death rituals of various tribes, etc. It was interesting, but I'm okay with never reading about death again. I'm a pretty happy person and would rather focus on happier things and people.

[Desiree Kern]

This book is a very fast read (took me all of an hour to get through it) but it's worth the hour. It's funny, and has a lot of information that's good for bringing up at parties as random useless knowledge like Oscar Wilde's last words "I am in a duel to the death with the wallpaper. One of us has to go."

[Felicia]

Very interesting little book. Fans of cyanide and happiness will probably get a kick out of this book since the illustrators of cyanide and happiness illustrate the book. From the humorous drawings to the very fascinating look on death I give it 4 stars... would have given it a fifth if it was just a little longer

[Literary Ames]

This is a charming little book filled with funny anecdotes, quotes, illustrations and facts about the ultimate rite of passage we all experience. It's perfect for those quirky, weird people like myself who enjoys macabre humour, and has made me think hard about the way in which I (don't) want to die and what will (not) be done with my (hopefully) lifeless corpse.

[Jeni]

Death is a serious business and this book is death funny.
Filled with facts, information, famous stories and tidbits it will keep you laughing.
Bound in a grave stone complete with blood lettering you pick it up ready for a fun read. Read it at home where you can laugh out loud or on a commute and what the looks on other commuters faces. Great for lightening the mood.

[Sandra Strange]

This strange little book, shaped like a tombstone, with its primitively drawn illustrations, details everything you can ever consider to be connected to deathm concentrating on causes, both common and wierd.It's readable, magazine format includes lots of fast facts, sidebars and irreverence.

[Jesse]

A really amusing look at past and current death culture, and includes interesting nuggets like how to make a shrunken head, where do go to have your remains made into a diamond, the most popular places to die, and more. Really fun in a macabre way.

[Papaphilly]

Humorous read along the lines of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, but for death. Chock full of tidbits, both humorous and the odd.

[Alesia]

Macabre, droll & amusing facts about various facets of The Big "D".

[Casey]

Great for bathroom reading!!

[Kelly]

Full of interesting trivia about death. I recommend that you take a look!

[Adriane]

It was a really cute look at death, with lots of trivia and info on the various aspects of death. I would recommend this as a quick read, or for any trivia buffs.

[Jennifer Daniel]

Amusing read for any morbid soul. I especially liked the connect the dots of the black plague.